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Streaking Frazier never lost confidence amid slump

Streaking Frazier never lost confidence amid slump

7/23/13: Todd Frazier ropes a line-drive single to left, scoring Jay Bruce to extend the Reds' lead in the top of the third inning

By Mark Sheldon
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MLB.com |

LOS ANGELES -- Todd Frazier has put it together at the plate in a big way recently.

Frazier took a season-high eight-game hitting streak into Friday's game against the Dodgers and was batting .406 (13-for-32) during the streak. He also hit safely in 17 of his previous 19 games. Before the All-Star break, Frazier was hitting .239 and he has since raised his average to .254 with 10 home runs and 49 RBIs.

"I'm staying steady in my approach," Frazier said. "It's hard to explain. You try to find yourself during the year and sometimes it takes longer to get where you need to be. I feel very good about where I'm at with my approach to hitting the ball. Are the hits helping out? Sure, of course. At the same time, I feel like I have a better chance and opportunity to get hits and produce."

During his hitting streak, Frazier has not been getting cheap hits as he also has six doubles. That included a hot grounder past diving Dodgers third baseman Jerry Hairston Jr. during Thursday's 5-2 win.

"I'm hitting it hard, that's the main thing," Frazier said. "Whenever I hit the ball, I want to hit it hard, whether it's at somebody or not. When you hit the ball hard, you always have a chance. On the ground or in the air, it's going to find a hole like it did on the ground yesterday."

Frazier, who batted .220 in May and went from April 24-June 10 without a homer, has never had confidence issues. But he was caught guessing wrong on pitches and needed to improve his pitch selection.

"I could see where he was caught in between pitches, somewhere in no-man's land," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "You get caught between a fastball and a breaking ball, that's a bad spot be -- early on breaking balls and late on fastballs."

Frazier widened his stance and goes to the plate looking for more than one pitch in each situation -- just in case, rather than just guessing.

"You have to understand that eventually good things will happen," Frazier said. "You're the best player out there when you lace up the shoes and believe in that. You understand you're here for a reason. I know I will find my way and I'm starting to."

Mark Sheldon is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Mark My Word, and follow him on Twitter @m_sheldon. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.